


Wood

by EllieStormfound



Series: Jaskier has unexpected talents (and it is probably not what you are thinking) [2]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Competent Jaskier | Dandelion, Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Loves Jaskier | Dandelion, Idiots in Love, Kaer Morhen, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sweet Eskel (The Witcher), and i love him, but he is also a little shit, chopping wood, eskel is a real friend, mention of Lambert, muscular jaskier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:02:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24587311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieStormfound/pseuds/EllieStormfound
Summary: Another short fic without a real story line, just another unexpected skill of Jaskier's: chopping wood. And Geralt is intrigued (insert eye-emoji)
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Jaskier has unexpected talents (and it is probably not what you are thinking) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776235
Comments: 44
Kudos: 368





	Wood

“Why is Jaskier chopping wood?” Eskel asked Geralt, who was leaning against a doorway. They watched the bard, who was standing, legs slightly bend and a shoulder width apart, in a courtyard of Kaer Morhen, lifting a heavy axe above his head.  
“No idea,” Geralt replied, “never seen him chop wood before.”

Geralt and Jaskier had arrived a week before and two days later the first snow had followed them up the rugged mountains. Today was uncharacteristically sunny. When one found a protected and windless spot outside, it nearly felt warm. The sun reflected on the sharply polished edge of the axe.

To Geralt’s astonishment none of the other witchers had been surprised when he brought the bard with him. And to his relief all the witchers, who were in most circumstances reserved towards humans, had been welcoming towards Jaskier. Normally they all looked forward to spend a couple of month just in the company of others like them without any humans around. But Geralt guessed that by this time they knew the bard was a friend of his and that Jaskier had the potential to brighten the mood by offering some fresh entertainment with his music during long and dark winter evenings.

The bard had taken off his doublet. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up and his chest hair was visible through the loosely laced front. The sun shone on him and Geralt could see droplets of sweat gleaming on his forehead. 

“So you and the bard, eh?” Eskel asked, with a smirk and sideway glance at Geralt. Geralt grunted and said, “we are friends … traveling companions.” 

Eskel laughed silently. Geralt’s arms were crossed in front of his chest and he almost looked relaxed, contempt, deliberately not looking at the other witcher. “So the ...ahm … excitement we can all smell on you when you look at that handsome bard of yours is just a coincidence?” he asked with raised eyebrows and a wicked smirk. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” growled Geralt. 

They watched Jaskier swinging the axe down with precision, cleanly splitting a log, the two halves tumbling down the chopping block. The muscles on his exposed arms were clearly visible. 

When he was wearing his ridiculous clothes, the colorful doublets and high waisted trousers, holding the fragile lute in his hands, the bard appeared to be smaller, leaner. Geralt had assumed that it was intentional, that it was somehow beneficial to his profession as a bard to look less strong, less threatening. But now his strong body and defined muscles were visible through the sweat soaked shirt that clung to his torso.

Geralt tore his eyes away from his friend. “So you would not have a problem when - let’s say - Lambert were to make a move on the bard?” Eskel asked him, amusement in his voice.

Geralt could not suppress a growl, “Lambert will keep his fucking hands to himself”.

“Ah,” was all Eskel answered with a knowing smile, playfully bumping his shoulder into Geralts. 

“It’s okay, you know,” he continued silently, more seriously. 

“What,” Geralt growled through gritted teeth, “is okay?”

Jaskier bend down to retrieve one half of the split log, putting it on the chopping block, so it was standing upright. He lifted the axe again, gripping it firmly with his two hands before he swung it down, splitting the log with an audible crack into quarters. 

“Caring about someone, wanting someone,” Eskel answered.

Jaskier bend down again to retrieve the second half and Geralt felt heat rising to his cheeks as he willed himself to look somewhere else, breathing deeply to slow his treacherously increased heartbeat.

“I don’t need anyone and I don’t want anyone needing me,” Geralt answered, looking down at his boots. 

“Oh, the old lie we witchers tell ourselves,” Eskel said with a sympathy in his voice that irritated Geralt. 

“It’s no lie, it is our way of life,” was Geralt’s retort. 

“And yet here we are,” Eskel said, looking at the bard. 

Jaskier repeated these movements for a while till he had produced a decent pile of quartered logs that lay around the chopping block.

“Does the bard know,” Eskel began, feeling Geralt tense beside him, “that he does not have to chop the wood? That we have a barn full of chopped wood and that most of our fireplaces can handle bigger logs?” Geralt led out a breath, a mix of relief and amusement.

“Or did you not tell him so you can enjoy this view for a while longer?” Eskel asked, wicked grin back on his face. Geralt huffed. 

Jaskier leaned the axe to the chopping block, bending down to gather up the chopped wood. When he turned around he spotted Geralt and Eskel standing in the doorway and a smile brightened his face, wiping away the crease of concentrating on his forehead. He made his way towards them, arms full of the chopped wood.

When he reached the witchers he said, “you two are just idly standing around watching me doing all the work?” He thrust the armful of wood to Geralt, “make yourself useful and help me bring the wood into the barn.” 

Eskel laughed, “oh, so you DO know about the barn full of chopped wood? So tell me, bard, why do you chop wood when you know we already have a barn full of it?” 

Jaskier looked at the dark-haired witcher with a bright smile and Geralt was not sure why that made him so angry. “I just love chopping wood,” Jaskier answered, “the physicality and simplicity of it, the way that you instantly see the result of your work, the smell of the chopped wood, it just is so … satisfying. And your axe is really good, pretty sharp.” 

Geralt could see that Jaskier’s sweaty face and arms were dusted in fine wood shavings and the intensity of the smell that was pure Jaskier gave him the strange urge to gently wipe away the dust from his forehead and pressing a kiss to his temple, tasting him. 

Eskel turned to him with an audible inhale through his nose, a raised eyebrow and a wicked smile. 

“Yes Geralt, you really should make yourself useful and help your bard with this satisfying work”, Eskel said, turning around, walking back into the keep.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I wrote him here, but isn't Geralt an idiot? :D I love him being an absolute idiot and just not understanding how much in love he is?!... :D  
> Thank you for reading!  
> Find me on tumblr [EllieStormfound](https://elliestormfound.tumblr.com/)


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